Tony La Russa retired today, three days after winning his third World Series as a manager. I give him a lot of credit for going out on top, on his own terms. He's only 35 wins behind John McGraw for second all-time, but said he wasn't going to stick around next season just to get those 35 victories. And it's not going to change his legacy. It does create a loaded Hall of Fame ballot in 2014, though, when the three greatest managers of our generation--Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa (all Hall of Fame locks) become eligible, and so do first-ballot players Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. It'll be a good summer to be in Cooperstown in 2014.
All three managers probably won't get in right away. But Torre, Cox and La Russa will be the 21st, 22nd and 23rd managers inducted into the Hall of Fame. And they all rank in my top 10 list of the greatest managers in the game's history. "Where?," you ask. Good question.
10. Bobby Cox (Braves 1978-81, 1990-2010; Blue Jays 1982-85)-The fourth-winningest manager in history with 2,504 victories, Cox was a four-time Manager of the Year. He won an AL East title with Toronto in 1985, then, of course, had that amazing run with the Braves. From 1991-2005 (with the exception of the 1994 strike year) Atlanta won its division every season. The Braves went to five World Series in the 1990s, winning the title in 1995. In his final season, the Braves earned the NL wild card on the final day, allowing Cox to finish his career where he belonged--in the playoffs.
9. Joe McCarthy (Cubs 1926-30, Yankees 1931-46, Red Sox 1948-50)-It may surprise some of you that Miller Huggins isn't in my Top 10, but his successor with the Yankees comes in at No. 9. McCarthy gets the nod because he's the all-time winningest manager in Yankees history (1,460) and has the highest winning percentage of any manager ever (.615). He won the pennant with the Cubs in 1929, then eight more with the Yankees (1932, 1936-39, 1941-43). The Yankees won seven of those World Series, including four straight from 1936-39. McCarthy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1957.
8. Bill McKechnie (Pirates 1922-26, Cardinals 1928-29, Boston Braves 1930-37, Reds 1938-46)-This is probably the least familiar name on this list. His record of 1,845-1,679 might not seem that impressive compared to some of the other managers in the Hall of Fame, but McKechnie was the first manager to win World Series titles with two different teams (1925 Pirates, 1940 Reds). He also took the 1928 Cardinals to the Series, making him one of only two managers to get there with three different clubs. Beyond that, McKechnie turned the Braves from horrible to moderately good during eight years in Boston, and he helped the Indians win the 1948 World Series as Lou Boudreau's bench coach. In 1962, he received his plaque in Cooperstown.
7. Tony La Russa (White Sox 1979-86, Athletics 1986-95, Cardinals 1996-2011)-I rank La Russa as No. 7 all-time. He's No. 3 all-time in wins (2,728) and the winningest manager in Cardinals history (1,408). He also holds the record for wins by an Oakland Athletics manager (798). In 33 years, his teams made 14 playoff appearances, winning six pennants and three World Series titles. He won a division title with the White Sox in 1983 and went to three consecutive World Series with Oakland (1988-90). Then he went to St. Louis and won three more pennants in an eight-year span. La Russa won the World Series with the 1989 A's, then two more with the Cardinals (2006, 2011). In 2006, he joined Sparky Anderson as one of only two managers to win one in each league. And let's not forget, he went out on top.
6. Tommy Lasorda (Dodgers 1976-96)-The man bleeds Dodger Blue. He's been a part of the organization for six decades. He succeed another Hall of Fame manager, Walter Alston, and somehow outdid him. In 21 seasons, he led the Dodgers to eight division titles and four pennants. The Dodgers won the World Series in 1981, then again seven years later. And they seemed to have the NL Rookie of the Year every season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, his first year of eligibility. But his greatest accomplishment came after he was already a Hall of Famer. In 2000, he managed the U.S. Olympic team to its first (and only) gold medal with an upset of Cuba in the gold medal game.
5. Sparky Anderson (Reds 1970-78, Tigers 1979-95)-Sparky won 2,194 games during his 26-year career, sixth most in history. He was the first manager to win a World Series in both leagues, winning a pair with the Big Red Machine (1975-76), then another with the awesome 1984 Tigers. It says something that both the Reds and Tigers honored him with memorial patches on their uniforms this season. It also says something that his number was retired by both teams. The best team doesn't always win (just ask this year's Phillies), but Sparky took the Big Red Machine to four World Series during his tenure in Cincinnati. A 2000 Hall of Fame inductee, his legacy can be seen in his protege, Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson, this year's likely NL Manager of the Year.
4. Connie Mack (Pirates 1894-96, Philadelphia Athletics 1901-50)-The winningest manager in Major League history (3,731), Mack also holds a record that will never be challenged by managing same team for 50 years. Of course, that record comes with an asterisk since he also owned the Philadelphia Athletics. He started as a player-manager for the Pirates in the late 1800s before moving to the Philadelphia entry in the new American League in 1901. He had two dynasties in Philadelphia. The Athletics won three World Series in four years in the early 1910s (1910-11, 1913), then back-to-back titles in 1929-30. However, Mack managed a lot of bad teams, too, which is why I didn't rank him higher. He and John McGraw squared off in the 1905 World Series, and became the first managers inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937.
3. Joe Torre (Mets 1977-81, Braves 1982-84, Cardinals 1990-95, Yankees 1996-2007, Dodgers 2008-10)-Torre wasn't a Hall of Fame manager until he put on the Pinstripes. Then he led the Yankees to four World Series titles in his first five years and 12 straight playoff appearances. A nine-time All-Star as a player and the 1971 NL MVP, Torre had moderate success with the Braves and Cardinals before joining the Yankees. Six pennants later, he left the Yankees to become manager of the Dodgers in 2008, and LA lost the NLCS to the Phillies in each of his first two seasons. He retired at the end of last season and now works for the Commissioner's Office. Overall, his 2,326 wins are fifth-most in Major League history.
2. John McGraw (Baltimore Orioles 1901-02, New York Giants 1902-32)-After a falling out with American League founder Ban Johnson, McGraw took over the New York Giants in 1902 and WAS that franchise for 30 years. A very good player in the late 1800s, McGraw was an even better manager. He holds the National League record for managerial wins (2,669), and his 2,763 total victories are second only to Connie Mack. Under McGraw, the Giants won 10 National League pennants and finished second 11 other times. McGraw's Giants won three World Championships and are still the only National League team in history to play in four consecutive World Series (1921-24). In 1937, he was inducted to the Hall of Fame.
1. Casey Stengel (Brooklyn Dodgers 1934-36, Boston Braves 1938-43, Yankees 1949-60, Mets 1962-65)-Stengel had a successful 14-year playing career, but he's a Hall of Fame manager. Like Joe Torre, he hadn't had much success as a Major League manager before taking over the Yankees. All he did in the Bronx was win seven World Series and 10 pennants in 12 years. The Yankees won an unprecedented five straight titles from 1949-53, a record that almost certainly will never be challenged. After dropping a seven-game World Series to the Pirates in 1960, Casey was fired, only to move across town as the first manager of the expansion Mets. He's the only person ever to wear the uniform of all four New York teams, having played for the Giants (with whom he won the 1922 World Series), and been both a player and manager for the Dodgers. Stengel won 1,905 games during his career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966.
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